Got good news today - D21 won a gold key for photography for Scholastic Awards. I am now desperately trying to figure out how to print and mount it in two days before the drop-off. This was her first time submitting anything for photography and so I didn’t plan ahead for what to do if she actually won something. The size is supposed to be 26 x 20 and I don’t know why we made the dimensions that big! Should have made them smaller, would be easier. I have emailed the director a few last minute questions and so now he probably thinks of me as the annoying “that” mom.
@JanieWalker congratulations!!
@JanieWalker Congrats! That’s great…good luck with the printing. That does sound like a pain.
Our S19 submitted a few paintings this year but we don’t find out about awards until Feb 1. At least I won’t have to print anything out. Not sure if we would be required to mount them in any way.
@AndreaLynn - thank you - cross your fingers that I am able to get this printed and mounted correctly today or tomorrow or the key gets revoked. Really didn’t think she would win - not trying to be dismissive of my kid’s talent, I just don’t know anything about photography and this was her first entry. Wish I had thought about the whole printing/mounting process while she was submitting her photograph. 
She will kill me (and with good reason) if I screw this up.
@homerdog - good luck to your son! My daughter submitted a drawing that I was SURE would win something. THAT piece of work is matted and ready to go. Of course, her drawing didn’t even get an honorable mention and the photograph I thought was “meh” gets a gold. That shows you just how much I know about art, I guess. 
@JanieWalker they will revoke the award if you can’t get it mounted? That doesn’t seem fair. Maybe a Michael’s or Joann’s can help you out if you explain the rush. They have custom framing services.
@AndreaLynn thanks - It’s fair, I think they expect the parents and teachers to know what they are doing, and the rules clearly state this when you submit work, so there is no one to blame but myself for being a procrastinating goober. I had the drawing matted because my kid has won a lot of competitions with her drawings before - and I really thought she’d win something with this one too (she didn’t). The photography is a new thing and I tend to think all photos are “great” so I didn’t think she (or my youngest, who won an Honorable Mention…but hers was submitted with much smaller dimensions and is therefore easy to deal with) would actually win anything.
Walmart does enlarged prints and mounts them on foam board. I think that’s okay. I have a person in a local frame shop who can tell me if it makes sense to matt the foam board or not once she sees what Walmart has done with it. Hopefully this last-minute totally-my-fault issue will be resolved by tonight.
@janiewalker - sounds like you’re on top of the printing - what a hassle though!
@homerdog FWIW, Instructions from Scholastic that we got (paraphrased) stipulate that 2D winning entries must be matted with a 2" border and a hard backing such as mat board, cardboard, foam core (but not wood, Masonite or plexiglass. For delivery to exhibition venue, place between rigid boards. Use fixative for charcoals and pastels.
This may vary according to region, however.
@mamaedefamilia that’s the same for our region too, except there’s no specification about a 2 inch border.
Woo-hoo - Walmart came through within an hour, and now the enlarged photos are at our local frame shop for matting and should be ready for pick up just in time for me to drop them off at the venue.
And now, by watching me run around like mad today, my girls fully understand why, when the time comes, they should not wait until the last minute to submit college applications (or anything else). Running around and stressing out isn’t fun.
@janiewalker, congrats! To those sweating class rank,I feel for you! We’re very happy that our school doesn’t rank. At the end of senior year,valedictorian and salutatorian are announced. Each year there are gold and silver medal awards for each class/grade so everyone knows who are general leaders but without ranking, much less stressful!
@JanieWalker Congratulations on your D winning that award! I am going to go check it out, my D loves photography too.
Our school ranks starting day 1 and I hate it. It causes so much stress - the deans encourage the kids to take the most advanced classes possible (AP and AICE) at all times. Whee D19 was a freshman and we had a meeting to set up her schedule I mentioned that I wanted her to drop and AICE class and add an elective so she wouldn’t be so stressed. He said, “Oh, I wouldn’t do that, it will make your rank drop and you will fall behind your friends.” 8-| I was so annoyed! She took yoga anyway. D21 took drama last year and newspaper this year - both 4.0 classes which won’t raise her rank but I think it is totally worth it for her mental health!
Our school doesn’t rank either, thank goodness! It’s a high ranking public with enough stress all on its own!!! School only releases a report to colleges that shows what percentage of kids have a GPA is a certain range. For example, 4.5-5.0 - 4%; 4.0-4.4 - $20% etc… Only uses weighted GPA.
Our ranking begins the end of Sophomore year. Until then, it’s just a guess- and there is a lot of speculation.
Got the artwork to the gallery but noticed the bottom part of the matting isn’t that secure. So when we go to see it with everyone else’s work in a couple of weeks, the frame and matting might be stuck to the wall but the photo may have slid out and be resting on the floor… Oh well. I will handle this better next time, if we are fortunate enough to have a next time.
Just found out that all four of D21’s AP classes give one final grade instead of two semester grades. Thought they were splitting it up into two semesters, like the other classes she’s taking (she’s homeschooled, but all classes are outsourced using accredited and reputable providers). I really don’t like the one final grade approach because it’s a double-or-nothing situation instead of two separate grades. Nerve-wracking. She wants to get those averages way up now so she has room to screw up on a final in May and still keep an A average.
As stressed as my two can get sometimes with their schoolwork, I am glad there is no ranking system (both are first in their class at our two-kid homeschool, ha ha ha). They have aspirations to get into a Top 50 LAC or Top 100 college, which I think they can do given their advanced courses and unique and fairly high profile ECs. However, it is the strong teen indeed who can handle a rigorous courseload AND have to deal with the pressure of being officially ranked against their friends and classmates. My kids have homeschooled friends who are also hoping for top colleges, but the homeschool approach in those other homes are not like ours, so my kids don’t really feel like they are in direct competition with their friends for anything. So kudos to you parents who help alleviate the stress the teens must sometimes feel.
D21 gives her first solo talk at a national conference this Saturday. I am nervous for her and feel sick. I have come to realize that I worry about everything too much and that my kids don’t really stress all that much unless they see me stressing, so I am trying to become more chill in general.
Hope everyone is staying warm. It’s negative 5 outside our front door in New England right now.
@JanieWalker From what you have shared, it sounds like both of your children are nice, hardworking, accomplished, young people. I have no doubt they will do great when the time comes to apply for college!
That said, waiting for a single final grade must be incredibly stressful. Even in college, you get grades at the end of the semester!
@mamaedefamilia thank you, you are kind. I am going through a rough patch with my youngest (D23) right now where she is nice to everyone but me, so your words were helpful to read. She’s a good kid, but ya know, mom-daughter stuff happens. Subject for another thread though.
@JanieWalker Yes, they push the boundaries where they feel the safest doing so, AKA mom. 13-14 can be a snarly time. 15+ is better, IME. Also I found my younger D is a bit more, um, “assertive,” than my firstborn. 
@JanieWalker i hope the art work stays put. This mother daughter stuff is so hard.
Just catching up here, I was in Pittsburgh with my D for a Dance Competition. I was so proud of her, she for some reason was having a mental block with her tap solo, would get to a point and not remember a certain part and froze. This has been going on for a few weeks, she was stressing. It is not like her, she is a very strong tapper and never forgets dances, she can still do dances from a few years ago. Her rehearsal the week before we went away did not go well, she was having some issues with her choreographer who she usually gets a long great with. I think they were both having an off day. Up until a few hours before she was set to perform she was still working on it and stressing.over not being able to do it. She worked for hours to get it and finally did about 2 hours before she went on. I was so nervous for her, and when she got past that point successfully I cried I was so relieved for her. She didn’t place in the overalls, but to me a personal win was better.
DS is taking the F=ma exam today before school and has been studying for it for a few months - he is nervous. He really hopes to qualify to get to the next level and based on practice exams he has a great shot but it will be close. It just so happens today is the day that his high school allows sophomores to get one of the few remaining parking spots as juniors/seniors get them first. They give them out on a first-come, first-serve basis…
It would be very, very nice if he gets a spot as he is taking an advanced math course at a nearby college, as he completed AP Calc BC last year so is out of math to take. The course at the college begins at one, so he is only at school a half-day. If he does not get the parking spot, either my husband or I will have to go get him every day…arrrggghhhh!!!
He reached out to the GC to ask if they would hold him a pass since he was taking the physics competition before school and therefore cannot get there very early but they will not do it. The school has actually been great and very flexible with him but I really think this is crazy, but am very biased…My husband wants to go yell at them and I do too but both realize it is pointless plus we need their recommendations…it just seems that schools often get in the way more than they actually teach/help. Sorry for the rant but does anyone think I am unreasonable to think they should hold the spot for him? I am very confident there are no other kids that have academic needs for the parking spot.